Artisan cheeses,solar-powered farms in Cimislia-Basarabeasca livestock cluster of Moldova

Artisan cheeses made according Italian recipes are produced by farmers in the Cimislia-Basarabeasca livestock cluster, which brings together 25 farmers from the region. Most producers spent many years working abroad, where they acquired modern business development experiences.

Back home, they received support from the government and foreign partners to kickstart their businesses. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Ludmila Catlabuga has visited the farmers' households.

Farmers from the villages of Abaclia and Sadaclia, southern Basarabeasca district, are active members of the Cimislia-Basarabeasca livestock cluster. With support from Switzerland and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Moldova, as well as state subsidies, they transformed their farms into examples of best practices in animal husbandry.

Petru Casian built a farm with solar panels and expanded his milk collection capacities.

Garaba Farm, specialized in goat farming, managed to modernize its infrastructure by building an animal shelter and equipping the facility with advanced milking equipment, as well as a video monitoring system. The business collaborates with the Sălașul Baciului artisan cheese workshop, thus ensuring the full utilization of its milk supply.

The Baciu-Motroi family produces artisan cheeses based on Italian recipes. Swiss funds contributed to the modernization of the equipment and setting up a tasting room for tourists.

“These are people who have worked around the world, saved every penny and came home to build their households. They put all their hope in their land, their animals, their skills. They told me they have no regrets and if they started over, they would do the same. You can only admire how they united their strengths, learned from each other and gained courage. At first, they were unsure. Today, they spoke to me about big plans. They weren't alone on this path. Our international partners supported them every step of the way. They believed in them, supported them, guided them. Today, they are also happy to see the results. When there is progress, more opportunities arise. More projects and more chances for our villages,” said Ludmila Catlabuga.

Ludmila Catlabuga, along with UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova Daniela Gasparikova and Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova Guido Beltrani paid a working visit to the Cimislia district. The officials discussed with farmers and local authorities the development prospects of the cluster.

During a meeting with representatives of the Cimislia district council, discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between farmers and processors, attracting new members to the cluster and identifying funding sources for modernizing production infrastructure. At the same time, the need of expanding the initiative and replicating this successful model in other regions was emphasized.

There are 25 farmers in the Cimislia-Basarabeasca livestock cluster. The project, funded by Switzerland and implemented with support on behalf of UNDP Moldova, provides farmers with solutions for business development, farms’ modernization and expansion of sales markets.